Actress Krutika Deo is currently receiving praise for her portrayal of the younger version of Shreegauri Sawant in the Sushmita Sen starrer web series Taali. In a recent interview, Krutika shared that while shooting a scene on the streets of Mumbai, one passer-by mistook her for an actual beggar and handed her some money.
In an interview with the Hindustan Times, Krutika said, “One of the most challenging times was when we shot the scene where Ganesh is forced to beg after reaching Mumbai. We shot on real locations with the cameras kind of hidden, it was sort of a guerrilla shoot. I was alone, standing there, begging each time the traffic signal would turn red. A man came, gave me Rs 10 and blessed me. I get goosebumps even recalling that moment. It was surreal. He really thought I am begging."
“It was kind of a compliment to my acting, but also that feeling …it was weird. Our DOP Raghav sir suggested I should get that note framed and keep it like a souvenir. I am yet to get it framed, but I have kept it with me. And, then I realized that Gauri Sawant and many others like her go through situations like these even today. It was a little difficult to come to terms with it," the actress added.
Speaking of difficult scenes, Krutika mentioned that the scenes where young Gauri (pre-transition) leaves home and the one with the sexologist felt emotionally exhausting. “I listened to interviews where Gauri said she only had ₹50 when she left the house. Thanks to Nandu Madhav sir, I managed to do the scene well. He was so good and supportive. Something magical happened, the moment the take was over, we just looked at each other teary-eyed and thanked each other. I got support from him and he told me even he got some inspiration from a movement that I did. Taali has been a very satisfying experience," she added.
Taali is based on the life of transgender activist Shreegauri Sawant. It features Sushmita Sen and Krutika Deo as the older and younger versions of the activist respectively.
